Chapter 207

Lydia watched as Phoebe chatted with her companions, a bright and genuine smile on her face. She suddenly realized that ever since Phoebe had returned home more than a year ago, she had never smiled so freely. It made her wonder—had Phoebe ever truly been happy at home?

This was her biological daughter, her own flesh and blood. Of course, she had wanted to love and cherish her. But in the past, she had been influenced by Sienna’s manipulations, believing that Phoebe was wild and unruly. That was why she had tried to discipline her, to teach her a lesson, hoping she would learn from her mistakes.

When Phoebe left home, Lydia had assumed she was just throwing a tantrum and would eventually come back. But now, she wasn’t so sure anymore. Not only that, she had deliberately distanced herself from her brothers. Since leaving, Phoebe hadn’t shown the slightest intention of remaking their increasingly strained relationship.

She had watched quite a bit of this live broadcast. She realized that, despite growing up outside the family, Phoebe wasn’t wild or ill-mannered. On the contrary, she was incredibly capable. Not only was she skilled in horoscopes and metaphysics, but she also had many other talents, including fluent foreign languages. She was, in every way, more accomplished than Sienna, the adopted daughter the Jenkins family had painstakingly raised.

This realization filled her with both pride and discomfort, especially after discovering that Sienna had colluded with others to harm Phoebe and had even personally cursed her. Lydia felt even more unsettled. She wanted to see Phoebe—to offer her some comfort. Now that she was in Darmechia, this was a rare opportunity.

When Phoebe saw Lydia approaching, she was genuinely surprised. So Lydia had actually traveled all the way to Darmechia for Sienna? What a devoted mother. Now that she was heading this way, it was obvious she had come to see her. But what was her purpose? Was she, like Cain, here to question and reprimand me? Phoebe thought.

Since they had checked into the hotel for the night, the live broadcast had been turned off. This allowed the guests to relax, and the audience to take a break as well. Because of this, the camera crew was not following them.

Lydia stopped in front of Phoebe, her gaze softer than before. “Phoebe, I’d like to talk to you.”

What Lydia wanted… Phoebe was also curious about what… If it was about Sienna, then she wouldn’t hesitate to shut her down. She turned to Maddox and the others and said, “You guys go ahead and rest. I’ll be up later.”

“Alright,” Maddox and the others nodded before leaving.

In the elevator, Lexie curiously speculated, “Was that woman Phoebe’s former mother?” Otherwise, she couldn’t think of anyone who would come looking for Phoebe at this hour.

Maddox, having seen Lydia at a banquet before, nodded. “Yes, that was her former mother.” This surprised the others. Lexie looked worried. “She’s not here to scold Phoebe on Sienna’s…”

But Maldon chuckled this time. Do you think Phoebe would just sit there and take…?

3:14 PM – Lexie paused, then burst out laughing. She understood Phoebe’s personality well. If someone treated her kindly, she… There’s no way Phoebe… She settled scores right then and there. Hearing this, Quintus also released a…

At the hotel lobby, Phoebe… was the same expression she… It was because of this warmth that she had initially wanted to test them—… Who could have thought that after… Sienna’s manipulations and subtle hints…

Phoebe’s voice was cold and distant as she asked, “What do you want?” Lydia felt uncomfortable at her tone. This time, she didn’t scold her. She was here to mend their relationship…

She said, “I want to talk to you. Let’s have dinner together.”

But Phoebe shook her head. “There’s nothing to talk about between us. If you’ve something…”

…Jad… In her past life, when she had just returned home, she had hoped for… But after everything that happened, she had completely given up.

Lydia was momentarily stunned. She clearly hadn’t expected Phoebe to reject her outright. Lydia frowned slightly. “I’m only asking you to have a meal with me. Is that really…”

Porter smirked. “We’re not even close enough to have dinner together…” “Indeed, I’m already…”

3:14 PM =

Chapter 207

When Phoebe went missing, they had searched desperately, but to no avail. They adopted Sienna initially because a horoscope master had said she could help them find their real daughter. But after years of fruitless searching, Lydia had transferred all her maternal affection to Sienna instead. She had raised her for more than a decade, and Sienna had always been obedient, understanding, and dependent on them.

When Phoebe came back, Sienna felt insecure and subtly hinted that she was being bullied. That was why they had favored Sienna even more. Lydia still loved Sienna, but she also cared about Phoebe.

Phoebe scoffed. “Sure, you were good to me. But didn’t I already repay that? Didn’t I give back even more?” She sneered. “What, you thought you could throw a few crumbs my way and expect me to owe you for life?” Then, she looked Lydia up and down and said bluntly, “Wow, you’re really shameless.”

She hadn’t been back with the Jenkins family for long when she came down with a fever. After being sent to the hospital, Lydia stayed by her side the entire night, showing care and concern, fussing over her well-being. At the time, she had been genuinely moved. That was why she had gradually warmed up to Lydia—making medicinal meals for her, giving her massages, reminding her to take her medication every day. But who would have thought that all that affection was nothing more than a fleeting illusion? Compared to Sienna, her so-called importance crumbled in an instant.